November 22, 2007
To the Editor:
The Sparta Township Council not long ago mentioned the idea of a new town- operated waste collection service. With uncharacteristic speed and curious coincidental timing during a holiday season, this idea has moved from a “considered option” to an “introduced proposal” to a Nov. 8 “first meeting passed ordinance”. It is on the agenda for “final passage” at the Township Council meeting on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, Nov. 27.
The Sparta Township website explains:
This bid was not based on a per house basis but rather on the entire town’s participation. There is no opting out.
The current estimate of a $230 annual charge is based on a house with an assessed value of $250,000. A house assessed at $500,000 is double that.
The cost is based on a three year contract- and increases significantly each subsequent year.
This contract does not include recycling pick-up.
This contract does not include leaf pick-up.
This contract is subject to a fuel surcharge.
According to the miniscule Public Notice published on Nov. 14 in the New Jersey Herald, every Sparta “property owner to whom this service is available, “(whether or not they choose to participate in this program) will be billed “with uniform fees fixed from time to time by the Township Council.” Apparently it has not been determined if this will be a tag-on to our property tax or as a separate additional utility charge. This ordinance “would create a garbage utility in the Township for the collection and disposal of solid waste.” We do not know the exact charge of the pick-up, the “utility” cost, the operations or the annual cap on fee increases. If this were your own home, would you insist on specific numbers and clear information before signing? And if you decided against it, would you offer to pay for your next door neighbor?
If you do really like this one-size-fits-all idea and it works for you, that’s great. For those of us who disagree, we should not be forced to supplement the fees of the participating residents.
For years I’ve taken our garbage to the Sussex County Landfill in Lafayette. Here is the upside to my doing this: I spend between $1.50 and $2 a week disposing of household garbage. I recycle newspapers, glass, plastic and cardboard. This is simple and usually takes a few minutes. My garbage does not sit at the end of the driveway attracting bears or other animals. The County is reimbursed for the recyclables. That’s income. Why isn’t the Township Council encouraging residents to be more self-sufficient and fiscally conservative rather than proposing a program that is just the opposite? The recent election feedback was loud and clear: Stop giving money to municipalities with a reputation of wasteful spending.
Lynne Cavanaugh, Sparta
